As Charlie Musselwhite succinctly put it, 'blues is blues.' It can be the sweet ballad kind, or hard driving Chicago style, or even the low down country type. Whatever the kind, it's contained within this album - the feeling and depth of the blues being played today in the San Francisco Bay Area. For guitarist Hi Tide Harris, these sides are his very first solo efforts. As a member of the John Mayall Band, Harris recorded and toured Europe and Australia in 1974. Tide's guitar playing and singing rank him as one of the finest blues musicians to surface in recent years.
Gary Smith's career began with guitarist Robben Ford in 1970. The following year he formed his first band with bassist Steve Gomes whose solid backing has been a key to the band's success; they have been playing Bay Area clubs ever since. 'Solid Sender' is an instrumental in the vein of Little Walter. It's a showcase stopper that every harp player carries in his bag. Guitarist Ron Thompson was born in Oakland where the records of Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters first provided him with a basic blues background. 'Blue Chariot,' a Delta influenced acoustic slide piece, is a classic that clearly exemplifies this young guitarist's abilities.
Robert Lowery was born in Shula, Arkansas, near the Louisiana border. His earliest influences were local bluesmen, however, he eventually fell under the influence of Sam Hopkins and Son Jackson. He moved to Oakland in 1956 and is known for his rather uncanny ability to duplicate the sound of Robert Johnson. 'Crossroad Blues' is performed in typical Johnson style, the slide work impeccable, the duplication incredible. Sonny Rhodes has been playing the blues in California since the early 1960s when he moved to Fresno from Smithville, Texas. In Texas, he heard a lot of blues, especially T-Bone Walker who remains Rhodes' deepest influence as a guitarist. 'Keep Holding On' is a Jr. Parker tune that Rhodes first heard in Texas, lending a unique interpretation, and featuring a biting West Coast-style guitar.
Luther Tucker is a veteran of numerous Chicago groups including the bands of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, and James Cotton before finally settling in San Francisco. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1936, Luther Tucker is one of the great lead guitarists in the blues today! 'Mean Old World' goes back to when Tucker worked with the Otis Rush band in Chicago. It has been the wish of these musicians to present this album as a joint effort, a cooperative recording in which the final product is an expression of all involved to be shared by all, and one which transcends commercial consideration and allows each performer his interpretation of the blues. /Excerpt from the liner notes by Tom Mazzolini
Gary Smith's career began with guitarist Robben Ford in 1970. The following year he formed his first band with bassist Steve Gomes whose solid backing has been a key to the band's success; they have been playing Bay Area clubs ever since. 'Solid Sender' is an instrumental in the vein of Little Walter. It's a showcase stopper that every harp player carries in his bag. Guitarist Ron Thompson was born in Oakland where the records of Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters first provided him with a basic blues background. 'Blue Chariot,' a Delta influenced acoustic slide piece, is a classic that clearly exemplifies this young guitarist's abilities.
Robert Lowery was born in Shula, Arkansas, near the Louisiana border. His earliest influences were local bluesmen, however, he eventually fell under the influence of Sam Hopkins and Son Jackson. He moved to Oakland in 1956 and is known for his rather uncanny ability to duplicate the sound of Robert Johnson. 'Crossroad Blues' is performed in typical Johnson style, the slide work impeccable, the duplication incredible. Sonny Rhodes has been playing the blues in California since the early 1960s when he moved to Fresno from Smithville, Texas. In Texas, he heard a lot of blues, especially T-Bone Walker who remains Rhodes' deepest influence as a guitarist. 'Keep Holding On' is a Jr. Parker tune that Rhodes first heard in Texas, lending a unique interpretation, and featuring a biting West Coast-style guitar.
Luther Tucker is a veteran of numerous Chicago groups including the bands of Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, and James Cotton before finally settling in San Francisco. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1936, Luther Tucker is one of the great lead guitarists in the blues today! 'Mean Old World' goes back to when Tucker worked with the Otis Rush band in Chicago. It has been the wish of these musicians to present this album as a joint effort, a cooperative recording in which the final product is an expression of all involved to be shared by all, and one which transcends commercial consideration and allows each performer his interpretation of the blues. /Excerpt from the liner notes by Tom Mazzolini
Album: Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues
Year: 1976/1992
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 152,8 MB
Styles: Blues
Scans: Full
1. Hi Tide Harris - Messaround (2:34)
2. Gary Smith Blues Band - Blues For Mr. P. (3:19)
3. Ron Thompson - Is That Any Way To Treat Your Man (2:53)
4. Robert Lowery - Crossroads Blues (2:56)
5. Sonny Rhodes - The Highway Is Like A Woman (4:53)
6. Gary Smith Blues Band - Solid Sender (4:13)
7. Luther Tucker & The Gary Smith Band - Tuckerology (2:43)
8. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Canadian Sunset (2:07)
9. Hi Tide Harris - Charlie Stone (3:27)
10. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Mean Old World (8:38)
11. Hi Tide Harris - Tipitina (2:17)
12. Sonny Rhodes - Keep Holding On (2:15)
13. Hi Tide Harris - Never Will Forget Your Love (2:13)
14. Robert Lowery - Gambling Man Blues (2:12)
15. Ron Thompson - Blue Chariot (2:32)
16. Ron Thompson - Paycheck Blues (4:30)
17. Robert Lowery - Step It Up And Go (1:54)
18. Robert Lowery - Tennessee Blues (3:21)
19. Robert Lowery - If I Die (2:13)
20. Luther Tucker & Charlie Musselwhite - Sweet Home Chicago (4:34)
Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues mc
Blue Bay: Anthology Of San Francisco Bay Blues zippy